Meat is muscle, and as a result, it contains muscle fibres – referred to in the meat industry as ‘grain’. It doesn’t matter whether you are slicing raw steaks from a whole primal [link to rump post] or slicing grilled steak to serve – if you slice the meat alongside these muscle fibres, it makes for a tough and stringy portion of beef. If you slice against the grain – and therefore shorten the muscle fibres in your beef cuts – you will achieve much more tender eating quality.

If you purchase nice beef, make sure you cut it in a way that ensures a nice mouthful! Find out everything you need to know in the video below: